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THE K I NG ' S BUS I NESS
against the Jews, an implacable foe, with a passionate, ungovernable disposi tion. His true character was revealed in his wail because Mordecai would not bow to him (5:13). The background of this story gives us a picture of a feast given by the king to his nobles and princes, a feast which continued for months. It was carried on in one part of the palace while Vashti, the queen, entertained the women in another part. After the king had elated himself in every possible way by exhibiting his riches and treasures, he thought to climax it all and excite their envy, by showing them his beautiful queen, and so ordered her to appear before them. This she refused to do. No woman, ex cepting an immoral woman, would ap pear without a veil. She held to her birthright and is an illustration of a modest woman maintaining her rights. Had she lived in this day, no doubt she would have responded to the call in the scant apparel so fashionable among the “ Four Hundred” . Her refusal angered the king, and, acting upon the advice of his counsel lors, he commanded that her royal es tate he taken from her. Another queen was chosen in her place,— Esther, the foster daughter of Mordecai. Haman, who had been advanced to a high position by the king, enraged at Mordecai’s refusal to bow before him, procured a decree for the destruction of all the Jews in the province, promising, in return, to pay $17,000,000.00 into the king’s treasury. (1) THE PROBLEMS OF OPPOR TUNITY. In the midst of the common sorrow, one man laid it to heart. Mordecai felt the burden upon himself. He knew the inflexible law of the Medes and Per sians. He also knew the unfailing law of Jehovah. “He purposed in his heart to do.” He sent a hold, fearless and
the characters. Moving in and through them all, two forces are at work;— one matched against the other— and every event dovetails definitely in such a ■ manner that one is carried along with intensified interest as we see God work ing against Satan and proving more than a match for him as He always does, even when there is, seemingly, no hope of deliverance. Put this story in between the sixth and seventh chapters of Ezra. There are four principal characters in the story. Our conscience and judgment are naturally with two of them—Morde- cai and Esther, and against the other two, Ahasuerus and Haman. Mordecai, a Jew, lived in Shushan, the royal city of Persia, with his adopted ward, Esther. He probably held some government position (2:5, 21-23). He was of the family of Kish, tribe of Ben jamin,— an upright, God-fearing, far- seeing man. He loved his people. He believed in their destiny. He was faith ful to the king. Esther, the beautiful queen of Aha suerus, was horn in Persia, her parents being among the Jews who preferred to remain there rather than to return to Palestine. Her original name, Hadas- sah (myrtle) was changed to a Persian name, Esther (star). She was chosen as queen, in place of the deposed Yashti, for her beauty. Ahasuerus, or XeFxes, the famous Persian king, reigned from 486 to 465, B. C., 21 years. He led the unsuccess ful expedition against Greece in which the storms and waves wrecked his boats. He is represented as whipping the waves with whips. Haman, the Agagite (Esther 3:1; Num. 24:7-20 )was a descendant of the Amalekites. He was a high official in Xerxes’ court. He was wealthy (5:11) perhaps nearest the king. He had the king’s signet ring (3 : 10, 12). A vain, tyrannical man, deeply prejudiced
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